By
Phil Leckman
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Acclaimed Indian theater company spreads message of
As a medium-sized city on the edge of a vast desert, Tucson may often seem far from the pulse of world events.
Tonight, however, University of Arizona audiences have a chance to witness an international sensation, as acclaimed Indian playwright Rattan Thiyam and his Chorus Repertory Theatre stop at Centennial Hall on their inaugural United States tour. "Uttar Priyadarshi," Thiyam's newest work, makes its only Arizona appearance tonight.
"This is world-class theater, well-received worldwide," said Sunil Kothari, the company's scholar-in-residence.
The former chair of the Indian classical dance department at Calcutta's Rabindhra Bharati University, Kothari is an authority on the traditional arts of India who has toured with the Chorus Repertory Theatre for almost 20 years.
Such long ties are typical for the members of Thiyam's company, many of whom have been with the group since its founding in 1976.
"They started very small, when they were all young people," Kothari said.
Now including 30 members, the company lives together collectively at Thiyam's theater in Imphal, Manipur. Each member is a versatile artist, skilled in dancing, singing, acting and a traditional Manipuri martial art called Thang Da. Such talent is required by Thiyam, himself a well-versed and talented artist.
"Mr. Thiyam is exquisite, a vastly gifted man, a writer, painter and poet," Kothari said.
The child of a "very traditional dancer family," Thiyam was immersed in art from an early age.
"As a child, he was often found in his parent's costume boxes, asleep," Kothari said.
Thiyam received training in western theater at Delhi's National School of Drama, but eventually chose to return to his native Manipur to start a company rooted in his homeland's traditional language and culture.
Although it has been part of India since 1948, Manipur has a different ethnic, linguistic and religious background than the rest of the country. These differences have often resulted in violence, as Manipuri separatists seek independence.
The strife and uncertainty of his native region have had a deep influence on Thiyam - themes of non-violence have been central to many of his works, including "Uttar Priyadarshi."
Composed in 1996, "Uttar Priyadarshi" is a powerful meditation on war and peace. Through a series of vignettes and flashbacks, the play tells the story of Emperor Ashoka, an ancient Indian ruler who began his reign as a brutal conqueror but eventually became a Buddhist and proponent of non-violence.
"Emperor Ashoka had a great lust for conquest - rivers of blood were flowing," said Kothari. "Hundreds of thousands were killed."
The play begins with Ashoka's return from one of these conquests and traces his transformation from tyrant to pacifist. Much more than a simple play, "Uttar Priyadarshi" includes the dancing, singing and rhythms of Thiyam's talented company.
"At the beginning, American audiences may not know what to think," Kothari said. "But they will be amazed by Mr. Thiyam's rich sense of design, music and spectacle."
The play is performed in Mei-tei, Thiyam's native language, but supertitles and annotations will make the story clear for English-speaking audiences. Kothari, however, said these may not be necessary.
"You don't need a translation to understand the vivid imagery," he said.
